NPR

Would The U.S. Withdraw Troops From South Korea?

President Trump has said U.S. forces are not on the table for potential negotiations with North Korea, but he has also complained about the cost of keeping them there.
U.S. and South Korean soldiers sit inside an amphibious vehicle during an annual joint military landing exercise in Pohang, on South Korea's southeast coast, in March 2016.

American troops have been stationed on the Korean Peninsula for nearly 70 years. More recently they've become something of a political football.

North Korea wants them out as part of any nuclear deal. South Korea wants them to stay to help with its defense. And President Trump is considering reducing their numbers to save money.

When the president recently canceled the planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. defense spending in the region was also apparently on his mind. He said South Korea and Japan of any financial burden" on the United States for any military operations.

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